|
Written by Dale Woodard
|
|
Monday, February 22 2010, 11:30 PM |
It started as an excuse to see a hockey game for free in exchange for handing out programs.
Nearly 40 years later, the Lethbridge Hockey Hounds continue their jack-of-all-trades operation.
“We started with the Sugar Kings under Scott Munroe,” said five-time past-president Garry Robinson. “He was looking for someone to sell programs for him. A few of us got together and thought ’Well, we’ll sell programs and be able to watch a game’ and from there it just grew. We did various other things from holding dances to raffling cars to whatever. The 50-50 was something we took on when the Broncos came. We took it on and ran it and looked after the schools. We did the whole ball of wax.”
As the Lethbridge Hurricanes hosted the Kootenay Ice during Western Hockey League action Saturday night at the Enmax Centre, the Hockey Hounds got their due in a banner-raising ceremony that also honoured former Lethbridge Bronco Bryan Trottier and Lethbridge Hurricane Wes Walz.
“I felt quite overwhelmed with it,” said Robinson. “Being with the Hockey Hounds since the 1971-1972 season, that’s a long time. It really meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to Gordie (Carpenter) because the two of us were the first ones. The ones that have been in the club for a long time are the ones that felt emotional about it and good about it.”
Not too bad for a club that with a dozen members just intent on enjoying themselves at events around Lethbridge.
“We had 12 guys who were just going to have some fun and it just ballooned. Right now we’re at 30 and we could probably be at more,” said Robinson, adding he never envisioned banner raisings and Hall of Fame inductions back when the Hockey Hounds were in their infancy back in the early-1970s.
“No, we never thought of that,” said Robinson. “It was something we just did because we enjoyed hockey. I coached in minor hockey and some of the other guys probably did, too. But none of us had anybody playing hockey. I had two girls and the other guys didn’t have anybody in hockey. Johnny Kobal, one of original members was a linesman for years and years. But he didn’t have anybody playing hockey.”
With their banner now hanging at the Enmax Centre, the Hockey Hounds goal is to simply keep on keeping on.
That, and do some recruiting.
“We have to get more younger members. Us guys are getting a little long in the tooth,” said Robinson with a laugh. “We’ve had some good guys come in, it’s been really good. We’re always looking for more young guys that are willing to put out the time because you’re looking at 40 games, concerts, meetings. You’re probably talking 80 nights a year. So that’s quite a commitment.”
|
